Exactly one year after Oakland leaders announced a $2.5 million investment to save the city’s failing 911 Emergency Call Center, average answer times remain the worst in California by a wide margin.
State data shows, with an average answer time of 50 seconds, Oakland PD is more than triple the state standard of 15 seconds.
But city leaders point out that’s progress.
Exactly one year after Oakland leaders announced a $2.5 million investment to save the city’s failing 911 Emergency Call Center, average answer times remain the worst in California by a wide margin. Raj Mathai spoke with Investigative reporter Candice Nguyen to understand the latest details.
Last summer, it was answering 36% of its 911 calls within the 15 seconds standard. This month, that increased to 51%. Oakland needs to be at 90%, according to the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
The agency first sent the city a notice of non-compliance in mid-2023, weeks …